A Christmas to Remember
by RoxxiSanders
Summary: It's Lexxi's first Christmas away from home. Everyone at the crime lab is snowed in and the weather seems to be getting worse. Mix that with a very ratty Greg Sanders and it seems to be an interesting Christmas for the newest member of the Vegas Crime lab


**DISCLAIMER: **I don't own any of the cast of CSI, yada, yada, yada.

**A/N **This is my first Christmas fic too so please don't be too harsh on me.

A Christmas to Remember

He sat on the windowsill, glaring at the weather outside. "Well the snow doesn't look like it's gonna stop any time soon." Greg stared out of the window of the break room, of all the times for it to snow in Vegas it had to snow on Christmas Eve, trapping them all inside the crime lab.

"Don't worry I'm sure it'll stop sooner or later." Catherine was like the mother of the group, when someone was upset or needed cheering up, she was there to do the job. "I thought you liked snow anyway?"

"I do but I was meant to be flying out to Norway yesterday but because of the snow everyone's flights were cancelled. They just gave us our money back and told us that there were gonna be no flights out until after Christmas." The annoyance was obvious but Catherine could also detect a hint of upset, she knew he'd been looking forward to spending Christmas with his parents and grandparents.

It was Lexxi's first Christmas with the crime lab and she was still getting to know everybody. "Why go all the way to Norway for Christmas?" She asked as she sat in a chair opposite the window.

Greg turned round to face her, still annoyed about the weather stopping his plans. "I'm part Norwegian, duh." He snapped sharply at her but when he saw the embarrassment and hurt in her eyes he wished he hadn't.

"I didn't know, sorry." She sounded hurt and looked so small huddled in the chair. Greg would have given anything to take back what he had just said.

Catherine got up off the sofa and walked over to the windowsill; she sat down next to him and leaned over to whisper in his ear. "I know you really wanna be with your family right now Greg but there was no need to snap at Lexxi. She's new and she didn't know about your grandparents so stop taking this out on her ok?"

"I know…I'm being an ass aren't I?" She nodded and he sighed. "I guess I just don't know what it feels like to be away from them. I've spent every Christmas with them, no matter what we're always been together at Christmas." He sighed again.

"I know we're not related so technically we're not family but at least you're not on your own over Christmas which is more than some." He looked at her and she could see in his chocolate eyes that he was sorry. "Lexxi has nobody, her family are all in San Francisco visiting her sister but she couldn't go because she had to work tonight. Lindsey's at my mom's so I can't spend Christmas Eve with her because I'm stuck here too. You aren't the only one that can't go home." He looked out of the window again, knowing that she was right.

Now Greg felt exceedingly small. "I know and don't worry I'll apologise to her." Catherine smiled at him and he smiled a small smile back.

"Good, now I'll give you two some time to sort things out. If you need me I'll be in Grissom's office." Catherine and Grissom had been spending a lot of time together recently and Greg suspected that something was going on between them but he couldn't prove it. Catherine stood up and walked toward the door, "I'm just going to talk to Grissom, if either of you need me you know where I'll be." With that she walked out of the break room but walked back in when she realised an important point. "We're all meeting in here in about an hour to swap gifts too so make sure you're still here." They both nodded and told her that they'd be there and she left.

Lexxi sat silently in her chair and Greg could feel the awkwardness between them, awkwardness caused by him. He turned around and instantly felt guilty at the look on her face, the look he had caused. He knew what he had to do. "Umm, Lex?"

Lexxi looked up at him, still hurt but ready to listen to what he had to say. "Yeah?"

He looked at her as he sincerely apologised. "I'm really sorry for snapping at you before."

"S'ok, you're missing your family. I know what that feels like, mine are in San Francisco." She was sympathising with him when she should have been screaming at him.

"No it's not ok. I had no right to snap at you, it's not your fault that the weather hates me and got my flight cancelled." She smiled at him and laughed.

"Well at least it was only the weather for you. My parents didn't take it too well when I told them I had to work so I couldn't fly out to spend the holidays with them." She looked sad again and Greg realised that he shouldn't keep feeling sorry for himself; at least his parents had been ok, saying that it wasn't his fault and that it couldn't be helped.

"Yeah, I'm sorry. I'm here feeling sorry for myself and you're in the same boat as me." She looked up at him again with a twinkle in her eyes.

"Let's hope we don't capsize then huh?" He smiled at her and walked over to the chair she was sitting in. "I'm sorry I didn't know you were part Norwegian."

"Don't be, it's my fault for not telling you." He sat on the arm of the chair and looked down at her. "I know you don't have your real family here but you're very welcomed to join our little CSI family…you know if you want."

"Thanks, I may take you up on that offer." She could see the genuine care he had in his eyes and his smile. It was at that moment that she realised she was away from home but she was still with her family. Her co-workers had become a part of her family. "So if you're part Norwegian how'd you end up here?"

"My grandpa was tossed out of Norway because he got my grandma pregnant before they got married…that was frowned upon. Anyway they ended up in California, which is where I was born and when I became a lab rat I got offered a transfer here…so I took it." She'd sat and listened intently to his story, glad that someone was actually making conversation with her.

"Wow, so is it your mom's parents or your dad's parents that are Norwegian? I mean 'Sanders' isn't exactly a Norwegian name."

"My mom's and her maiden name was Hojem, my middle name."

"Really that's your middle name?" He nodded but she didn't believe him. "Really?" She was surprised; she'd always thought that his middle name would be something like 'Thomas' or 'James'. She knew that he was from California but she'd had no idea that he was part Norwegian.

He smiled at her as she apologised for sounding so surprised. "It's ok and yeah, that really is my middle name." She once again apologised for her reaction. "Will you stop apologising, it's ok; I've had worse reactions. So is it your first Christmas away from your parents then?"

She sadly nodded and her eyes filled up with tears. "Yeah, it is." She refused to let the water fall from her eyes as she tried her hardest to hide it from him.

He saw through her act however, "God Lex, please don't cry I didn't mean to upset you."

"It's not you Greg, the reason we had to go to my sister's for Christmas is because she's pregnant. She's due around New Year and I'm gonna miss it." She finally gave in and let her tears fall. Greg leaned over and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, holding her while she sobbed. When she'd finished she looked up at him and he smiled softly at her.

"She'll understand and it's not your fault that you couldn't be there, its Ecklie's fault."

"I just feel so guilty."

"Well don't, you're a great person and your sister knows that if you could be there then you would." Lexxi smiled back at him, she actually believed him.

A few hours later Lexxi, Catherine, Grissom, Sara, Warrick, Nick, Archie, Doc Robbins, David Phillips, Hodges, Sofia and even Ecklie were sat in the break room surrounded by gift wrap and gifts from each other. Maybe Greg had been right. Lexxi realised that they had definitely become her family, she was spending Christmas with a bunch of people that cared about her and that she in return loved more than the world. Her family would understand and when the baby was born she was going to be the best auntie in the world. She was tugged out of her thoughts as she felt a set of warm, soft lips join with hers. When she pulled back she saw Greg hanging a piece if mistletoe above their heads and grinning at her.

"Merry Christmas Lex." He smiled at her telling her everything was going to be alright.

"And a happy New Year Greggo." She smiled back then pulled him down to kiss him. Everything was going to be more than alright.

**A/N **Well what did you think? Please hit the review button and tell me.

I hope everyone has very happy Christmas and a wonderful New Year!


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